Machine for braiding knotless netting

ABSTRACT

New forms and arrangements of braiding heads for a net-braiding machine. Each braiding head is a unit of three wing wheels, or a combined unit comprising a multiple of three wing wheels.

United States Patent 1 Reichel 1 1 MACHINE FOR BRAIDING KNOTLESS NETTING [75] Inventor:

[73] Assignee: Institut fiir Hochseefischerei und Fisehverarbeitung, Rostock, Germany 22 Filed: Mar. 5, 1973 211 Applt No.: 338,023

Harry Reichel, Rostock, Germany [30] Foreign Application Priority Data Sept. 21, 1972 Germany 165776 [52] US. Cl. 87/24; 87/37; 87/50 [51] Int. Cl D04c 3/02; D04c 5/00 [58] Field of Search 87/8, 37, 38, 50, 51, 57

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS Lebosse et a1. 87/24 [451 July 15,1975

1,606,059 1 1/1926 Corson 87/24 1,741,623 12/1929 Guyon et a1. 87/24 1,784,188 12/1930 Kakuda 87/24 1,975,212 10/1934 Kobayashi... 87/24 1,975,431 10/1934 Okuma 1 87/24 X 3,714,862 2/1973 Berger 87/8 Primary Examiner.1ohn Petrakes Attorney, Agent, or FirmNo1te and Nolte [57] ABSTRACT New forms and arrangements of braiding heads for a net-braiding machine. Each braiding head is a unit of three wing wheels, or a combined unit comprising a multiple of three wing wheels.

10 Claims, 68 Drawing Figures M' MEHJUL 3 5 1973 SHEET MACHINE FOR BRAIDING KNOTLESS NETTING BACKGROUND AND NATURE OF THE INVENTION Knotless braided netting comprises loops which consist of pairs of braided legs, interconnected by braiding. Heretofore, the braiding of the legs and interconnections was performed by a system of braiding heads or wing wheel units; each unit or head consisted of four wing wheels arranged substantially as a square.

Braiding needles with bobbins are driven, along end segments of a path or groove in form of a figure eight," by the turning of the wing wheels. The needles are interchanged between wing wheels, at crossings of their path or groove in the center of the figure eight and between adjacent figures eight" by track crossings or changeable track switches.

A serious limitation of the known machine is due to the square-shaped arrangement of the braiding head. This arrangement sets limits to the productivity of the machine, by setting limits to the allowable denier of the yarn forming the net. Each braiding head for braiding a four thread leg had four wing wheels with four cutouts each, and had crossings between such wheels, with track means for all of these crossings. The number, as well as the size of the wing wheels, used in such an arrangement, determines the overall dimensions and the corresponding speed of production of the entire machine. The greater the number of the diameter of wing wheels, the greater is the size of the machine and the longer are the paths of the needles for braiding the legs and leg connections.

It was another disadvantage of prior net braiding machines that the wing wheels of a four wheel braiding head turned in opposite directions, thereby producing opposite turns of the two pairs of threads crossing one another on a braiding head. Thus it became necessary that one-half of the raw material had to be twisted in S form and the other half in Z form.

It is the object of this invention to overcome these limitations; to reduce the required size of the machine; to accelerate the production of the netting and to make it possible to braid four yarn netting of heavier yarn.

These objects have been reached by the use of braiding heads consisting of three rather than four wing wheels or of multiples thereof. The length of the path of the braiding needles is substantially shortened by suitable arrangement of such three wheel heads; and the capacity for accommodating heavy yarn and large diameter bobbins, without reduction of the number or width of the loops, is increased. Also, the turning direction of the needles rotated and interchanged along their guide grooves can be unified.

DRAWINGS FIG. la is a schematic elevational view of a braiding head and associated equipment in the new machine;

FIG. 1b is a schematic plan view of the new braiding head;

FIGS. 1c to If show modified braiding heads, in corresponding plan views;

FIG. 2a is a more realistic plan view of a part of the new machine, using braiding heads of the form of 1c;

FIG. 2b similarly shows an arrangement of braiding heads with modified track switch means;

FIG. 3a is a schematic plan view of a system of braiding heads of the type shown in FIG. 12;

FIG. 3b is a plan view of a track switch unit of the type shown with other units in FIG. 2a;

FIGS. 30 to 3i are schematic plan views of consecutive positions of the wing wheels in two braiding heads of FIG. 3a, showing the successive positions of bobbin needles as occupied during the braiding of a leg of netting.

FIGS. 4a to 4: correspond, respectively, to FIGS. 3a to 31' but show the positions of parts in consecutive phases of the braiding of a connection point;

FIGS. 5, 6a to 6: and 7a to 7: show a first modified embodiment of the invention in views which correspond respectively to FIGS. 2a, 3a to 31' and 4a to 4i;

FIGS. 8a to 8d show another modification of the invention in views which correspond respectively to FIGS. 30, 3c, 4a and 4c; and

FIGS. 9, 10a to 10i and Ila to lli show a third modification of the invention in views corresponding to those of the first modification.

The new machine in principle (FIGS. la to lj), with different track switch units (FIGS. 2a, 2b), for the braiding of a new consisting of four singlebraided yarns (FIGS. 3a to 41') As schematically shown in FIG. la, the machine according to the invention comprises a set of braiding heads 2 and a corresponding system of braid lifters 3, suitably disposed for example around a vertical center line I. In a machine as shown, the netting produced by braiding heads 2 and braid lifters 3 is centrally removed at 4. As shown by a line radiating from the centerline 1 near the bottom of the figure, wing wheels 5 are centrally driven to propel braiding needle bobbins 6. As further shown, the propulsion is effected under the control of track switches 7. The net take-off means 4 comprises a system of drums 8. The drive of systems 2 and 3 is controlled and synchronized at 9 and 10. The latter control determines the operating cycle of braid lifter knives 11 in system 3, controlling the motion of yarn to the braiding connecting point 12 in synchronism with the positioning of bobbin needles 6. The details of such devices are shown for example in US. Pat. No. 3,714,862 of Heinz Berger issued Feb. 6, I973.

FIG. lb shows a basic form of the new braiding head or wing wheel unit 13. In accordance with the invention, the three wing wheels are provided in the new unit 13. As shown in FIG. lb, the three wheels are lined up on a common axis 15, disposed so that the angle a between a radius 14 of the machine and said axis 15 is The unit comprises an inner wing wheel 16 and a pair of outer wing wheels 17 adjacent thereto.

Each wing wheel, for making a four-thread leg of netting has four cutouts C to form four wings W and to accommodate four positions per wheel for the needles. In accordance with former practice, the wing wheels are geared or otherwise controlled for synchronized rotation so that some of the cutouts cyclinically face one another and jointly form circular recesses for the reception of braiding needles, as shown.

The modified arrangement of FIGS. 10 to If differ by the size of angle 0: and/or the arrangement of axis 15, which axis is a straight line in FIGS. lb to 1d but is broken at 90 according to FIGS. 1e and 1f.

FIG. 2a shows details of one arrangement whereby the system comprising the braiding heads 13 of FIG. 1c can be used in the production of four-thread braided nets. Grooves or slots 19 are formed in a plate 20 so that plates and grooves substantially overlie the threee wing wheels which, according to the invention, are provided to constitute each braiding head. Also provided are track switch units 21 for variable interchanges of braiding needles between wing wheels of each braiding head, and, in another position of the track switch units, for interchange between adjacent braiding.

In certain phases of the rotation of wing wheels (FIG. 11 drive 7 turns the several track switch units 21 by a small angular distance to change the needle track 19 from the position shown in FIG. 3a, which serves for leg braiding, to the position shown in FIG. 4a, which serves for connection braiding. Details of the track switch units are known from the Berger construction and are only generally shown herein; it is believed sufficient to note that each track switch unit 21 comprises two pairs of four-point switch groove units, each of these units comprising two track crossings and two track separations, for simultaneous interchange in the angular readjustment of the unit.

FIG. 2b shows a similar arrangement of wing wheels and tracks with a modified system of track switch units, comprising an array of fixed and stationary crossing members 18 and rectilinearly shiftable two point track switch units 22, for use with a system of braiding heads according to FIGS. 1e or If. In this system, fixed crossings 18 are used for the interchange of braiding needles within the braiding head, while shiftable units 22 provide for the interchange of braiding needles between adjacent braiding heads. By contrast, according to FIG. 2a, all interchanges, within as well as between braiding heads 13 are arranged to take place via switch units 21.

The two-point switches of FIG. 2b are adapted for use in braiding programs wherein braiding needles positions are identical on alternate braiding units, for ex ample on all odd-numbered or on all evennumbered braiding heads, by contrast the four point switches of FIG. 2a are provided for use in braiding programs wherein braiding needles have the same position from head to head, such programs having use particularly when the braiding heads are formed of multiples of three wing wheels.

Successive phases of operation of the machine are shown in FIGS. 3c to 3: for the single-braiding ofa four yarn leg of the net and in FIGS. 4c to 4i for the similar braiding of a leg connection. The exact phases of the cycle, available for operation of the associated braid lifter knives I1 (FIG. 1), are shown by vertical arrows. These knives can be successfully operated during the times when all braiding needles move on the outer wing wheels 17, for example during the phases illustrated in FIGS. 30, 3d, 3h and Si but not in the phases 3e, 3f and 3g. For the production of a leg of netting from four yarns there is used a braiding unit formed of two braiding heads 13, these heads being arranged in accordance with FIGS. and if. Although similar braiding heads are used in FIG. 2b as in FIG. 30, different track switch units are employed, the four point switch unit 21 being used according to FIG. 3 a, to provide the track position between the aforementioned braiding heads 13 as shown in FIG. 3b. The track separating points are identified as 23 while the crossing points are identified by 24. The positions of the centers of the switch unit are marked by crosses 21 in FIG. 3a.

In this last-mentioned figure the several curved arrows indicate the turning direction of the wing wheels. As shown, the outer wing wheels (17) turn in rightward directions and the inner wing wheels (16) turn in leftward directions; as a result, the complete set of braiding needles on needle path 19 moves uniformly rightward, on each braiding head 13. This has the advantage that all yarns can be twisted in the same direction (S or 5 Z).

Successive steps in the braiding of two legs of nettings are indicated by FIGS. 30 to 31', where the needles on one braiding head are identified as 1', 2', 3', 4' and on the other braiding head as 5', 6, 7', 8. The position after a 90 turn from FIG. 3c is shown in FIG. 3d, and so on. Thus the position of FIG. 3h corresponds to that of FIG. 3c, and the position of FIG. 3i to the one in 3d; that is after five 90 turns, there are interchanged positions of the needles, originally carried by each head. The aforementioned synchronized positioning of braid lifters is correspondingly shown by arrows in FIGS. 30, 3d and again by arrows in FIG. 3h and Si: The lifter knives operate at the times when the braiding needles are on the outer wing wheels 17 of braiding heads 13. Upon the ensuing crossing of bobbin threads, as the threads run over the inner wing wheels 16, the crossed thread portions are lifted to the connection point 12, where they are brought together or densified (FIG. 1).

FIGS. 40 to 4i illustrate the braiding of a leg connection for a four thread net. FIG. 4a shows a braiding unit consisting of two braiding heads. the arrangement of the braiding heads is based on use of the same basic unit as is shown in FIGS. 16 and If, and the same track switch unit 21, as has been described for the produc tion of legs of netting. FIG. 4b shows the switch unit, which is disposed between the braiding heads as indicated in FIG. 40. By uniformly readjusting the switch positions for every second braiding head, every two mutually neighboring braiding heads are so interconnected that an outer wing wheel of one braiding head is separated and is connected with the two wing wheels of the other braiding head, so as to yield motion along the track 19 as shown in FIG. 4a. In this process, the threads of needle pair 1', 2' cross with the threads of needle 7', 8', while those of pair 3', 4' cross with those of pair 5', 6' (FIGS. 4c to 4h). In a general way, the process is similar to that used for braiding the leg of netting. The needle position in FIG. 4h correspond to the initial positions in FIG. 40. As soon as the needle positions of FIG. 4h have been reached, the other track switches 21, in each second braiding head 13 closed until then are opened so that the changed track 19 of FIG. 42' is produced. The straight arrows in FIGS. 4e and 4h again show the phases for operations of braid lifter knives of the braid lifter mechanism.

Modification of FIGS. 5 to 7 FIG. 5 shows a braiding unit comprising two braiding heads 25, each comprising two basic three-wheel units corresponding to FIGS. 12 and If. Inner and outer wing wheeis again are shown at 16 and 17 respectively; the tracks of the needles again are 19. Braiding heads 25 serve to produce double braided four thread netting, each leg of which has two four-thread legs, braided independently of one another. Track switch units 21 are provided between the two braiding heads 25 for the transition of bobbin needles 6.

FIGS. 6a to 6i indicate the different phases of braiding legs of netting for such a net. In this case, unit 21 has only track changing positions 23. FIGS. 6c to 6! show the different phases of production of two legs of netting. The needles are designated by 1', 2', and 3, 4'

and 5', 6', 7', 8 on one braiding head, and by 9', I, 11', 12' and 13, 14', l, 16' on the other braiding head. In view of the different directions of rotation on braiding heads 25 and the different distribution of needles on tracks 19, needle positions corresponding to the initial ones are reached after twelve partial steps of 90 each.

FIGS. 7a to 7: show the different phases of braiding the leg connection for this modified machine, in a procession which is believed to be obvious from the foregoing description and from the indicated figures. After the twelve steps leading back to the needle position of FIG. 7c, the track switch units 21, thus far closed, are opened for every second braiding head 25.

Modification of FIGS. 8a to 8b FIG. 8a shows a braiding unit consisting of two braiding heads 25, each of these heads consisting of two basic three-wheel units according to FIG. lb. By means of changing positions of track switch units 21 (FIG. 2d) the apparatus produces selectively separation (FIG. 8a) or connection (FIG. 80) of the two braiding heads 25. This arrangement is particularly useful for the purpose of economizing space while assuring favorable construction and operation of the machine.

Modification of FIGS. 9 to I] These final figures relate to a machine for producing eight thread netting. FIG. 9 shows a braiding unit comprising two braiding heads 26, each consisting of a basic three-wheel unit corresponding to FIGS. 12 and If, a track switch unit 21 being provided between these braiding heads. The production of the eight threaded leg of netting is shown in FIGS. a to 10:. Track switch unit 21, as shown in FIG. 10b, provides two track changing positions 23 and two crossing positions 24. Each braiding head 26, as shown in FIG. 1001, has two directions of rotation. In FIGS. 10c to 101 the different needles are shown as l, 2', 3', 4' and 5', 6', 7', 8' for one of the braiding heads and as 9', 10, 11' I2 and I3 14', 15', 16' for the other braiding head. By means of symmetrical positioning of needles on tracks 19 over heads 26, the needles return to their initial position after six steps, from position 100, in the production of two legs of netting. Correspondingly, the connection points are produced as is indicated by FIG. 11a to II. The needles I, 2', 3', 4' of one braiding head are rotated in clockwise direction along with needles 10', I1, 12', 13' of the other braiding head. In this process and also in the process of braiding a connection point, according to FIGS. 11c to lli, the needles, symmetrically distributed over the braiding head, return to the initial position after six steps from FIG. 11c; whereupon the track units 21, closed until then, are opened for braiding the adjacent connection point.

What is claimed is:

1. Apparatus for knotless braiding leg and leg interconnections of netting, each leg comprising a number of threads, said apparatus comprising: a set of braiding heads, each braiding head having wing wheels only in an integral multiple of three, and each wing wheel having a number of cut-out recesses corresponding to said number of threads; a corresponding number of braiding bobbin needles for the cut-out recesses of each braiding head; a track unit for said needles; and track switch units between said braiding heads for interchanging said braiding bobbin needles in and between said braiding heads said track switch units being shiftable be tween leg braiding and leg connecting positions in the leg braiding position of which the bobbin needles are moved between wing wheels of a braiding head and in the leg connecting position of which the bobbins are moved between braiding heads to form a connection of the legs.

2. Apparatus according to claim I, wherein said number of threads for each leg, of cut-outs for each wing wheel and of braiding bobbin needles for each braiding head is four.

3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said three or multiple of three wing wheels of each braiding head are arranged to include two outer wing wheels or a corresponding multiple of two outer wing wheels.

4. Apparatus according to claim 3, also including means for rotating both outer wing wheels in the same direction.

5. Apparatus according to claim 4, also including means for rotating all outer wing wheels in the same direction.

6. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an inner wing wheel is disposed between and aligned with every two outer wing wheels.

7. Apparatus according to claim 6, also including means for rotating the inner wing wheels in a direction counter to that of the outer wing wheels.

8. Apparatus according to claim I, wherein each track switch unit comprises movable means providing a plurality of track-crossing or track-interconnecting elements of said track unit, and means for simultaneously repositioning such track switch units.

9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said movable means comprises a rotary disc.

10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein one of the means for simultaneous repositioning of track switch units is provided for each second braiding head. i 1* II i 

1. Apparatus for knotless braiding leg and leg interconnections of netting, each leg comprising a number of threads, said apparatus comprising: a set of braiding heads, each braiding head having wing wheels only in an integral multiple of three, and each wing wheel having a number of cut-out recesses corresponding to said number of threads; a corresponding number of braiding bobbin needles for the cut-out recesses of each braiding head; a track unit for said needles; and track switch units between said braiding heads for interchanging said braiding bobbin needles in and between said braiding heads said track switch units being shiftable between leg braiding and leg connecting positions in the leg braiding position of which the bobbin needles are moved between wing wheels of a braiding head and in the leg connecting position of which the bobbins are moved between braiding heads to form a connection of the legs.
 2. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said number of threads for each leg, of cut-outs for each wing wheel and of braiding bobbin needles for each braiding head is four.
 3. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein said three or multiple of three wing wheels of each braiding head are arranged to include two outer wing wheels or a corresponding multiple of two outer wing wheels.
 4. Apparatus according to claim 3, aLso including means for rotating both outer wing wheels in the same direction.
 5. Apparatus according to claim 4, also including means for rotating all outer wing wheels in the same direction.
 6. Apparatus according to claim 3, wherein an inner wing wheel is disposed between and aligned with every two outer wing wheels.
 7. Apparatus according to claim 6, also including means for rotating the inner wing wheels in a direction counter to that of the outer wing wheels.
 8. Apparatus according to claim 1, wherein each track switch unit comprises movable means providing a plurality of track-crossing or track-interconnecting elements of said track unit, and means for simultaneously repositioning such track switch units.
 9. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein said movable means comprises a rotary disc.
 10. Apparatus according to claim 8, wherein one of the means for simultaneous repositioning of track switch units is provided for each second braiding head. 